COLORADO - Colorado Gives Day, the online giving event that raises awareness and donations for hundreds of Colorado nonprofits, is on Tuesday.

Community First Foundation and FirstBank have partnered on this initiative since its launch four years ago, watching donations skyrocket each year. The first year, hundreds of people united to raise $8.4 donations; in 2012 that number nearly doubled, at $15.7 million.

"I am awed by what happens when the community comes together," said Marla J. Williams, president of Community First Foundation, "because it takes a community-wide effort to create this level of success."

More than 1,400 nonprofits are participating in the event this year. Donating to them on Colorado Gives Day gives them these special perks:

• One-hundred percent of every online donation goes to the nonprofits. Community First Foundation, FirstBank and sponsors cover all third-party processing fees.
• The FirstBank Incentive Fund, worth $250,000, increases the value of every donation.
• The chance to win 28 cash prizes from FirstBank-totaling $100,000. We encourage everyone to play the Facebook trivia to help nonprofits win these prizes. Trivia takes place from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6 on FirstBank's Facebook page.

Colorado Gives Day takes place on ColoradoGives.org, an online resource featuring Colorado charities. Made possible by Community First Foundation, it encourages charitable giving by providing comprehensive, objective and up-to-date information about Colorado charities and an easy way to support them online. All nonprofits profiled on the site are participants in the fourth annual Colorado Gives Day. There is a cause for everyone, so visit the site, explore, and give!